Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois feels he will finally get the respect he deserves after his man-of-the-match performance helped the La Liga champions claim a record-extending 14th European Cup triumph on Saturday.
Real beat Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League final courtesy of a Vinicius Junior goal but the Belgian’s saves made the difference at the Stade de France.
“I needed to win a final for my career, to put some respect on my name,” Courtois said after making a staggering nine saves. “I’m really happy and proud of the performance of the team. We’ve beaten the best clubs in the world. (Manchester) City and Liverpool were unbelievable this season. Liverpool played a great game but we had one chance and we scored it.”
Courtois, Chelsea’s keeper from 2011-18, said the first of his saves, when he denied Mo Salah early on, gave him the confidence he needed for the rest of the game. “It’s incredible, so many years, so much work. Come to the club of my life. I saw many criticising me. Today (Saturday) we have shown who is the King of Europe,” he said.
“I felt good the last few weeks. Once you make the first stop. Nobody could take away my desire to win the Champions League.” There was only one downside for Courtois — he missed his brother’s wedding but promised to make up for his absence.
“I feel sorry for my brother, who is getting married tomorrow and I can’t be there,” he said. “On Monday there is another civil marriage and I will be there.”
Turning point
Courtois’s teammate Karim Benzema said his disallowed first-half goal spurred Real on.
The France forward, one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or — football’s most prestigious individual award — found the back of the net on the stroke of half time, only for his goal to be ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review.
It was Real’s first clear chance after they had been put on the back foot by Liverpool and it got them into their groove.
“A final is always complicated. It’s mental work. We are (Spanish) league champions and we didn’t have rhythm, but we scored the offside goal and it got us into the game. In the second half we did as always, won a final,” Benzema, the campaign’s top scorer with 15 goals, said.
He is only the second French player to lift the Champions League trophy as captain after Didier Deschamps with Olympique de Marseille in 1993 and that puts him in pole position to win the Ballon d’Or to be awarded in October.
Liverpool manager Juergen Kloop said his team deserved more after dominating the match but they will be back to challenge again for Europe’s elite club trophy.
